This invention relates generally to oil separators and, more specifically, to an oil skimmer and separator for use in cleaning up oil spills.
In the case of an oil spill, it is important that the clean-up operation begin as soon as possible so as to limit the spreading of the oil away from the site of the spill. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a clean-up device that can be handled and deployed quickly and easily and that can be conveniently stored on an oil transport ship or at a site where an oil spill could occur. Furthermore, it would be desirable to power such a device with existing emergency fire fighting equipment, such as fire pumps on ships and on fire trucks. It would also be desirable that the clean-up device can be carried on small boats or helicopters.
To this end, the oil skimmer and separator in accordance with the invention is constructed to be light in weight and of a size and configuration such that it can be stored on a ship or on a dock conveniently, and can be carried by small boats or helicopters. Furthermore, the device in accordance with the invention is designed so that it can be deployed onto a body of water where the oil spill has occurred so as to float near the surface of this body of water in a manner to skim the oil/water mixture from the oil spill for separation purposes. Thus, the oil skimmer and separator in accordance with the invention utilizes light weight water-driven turbines for driving the oil separating mechanisms, which may include an oil discharge pump. Water-driven turbines can be made light in weight and still provide the horsepower necessary to drive the oil separating mechanisms. Also, because they are light in weight, the water-driven turbines can be floated easily.
Generally speaking, oil transport ships are heavily equipped with fire fighting pumps and hoses, thereby providing a readily available source of high pressure water power. It is this source of water power that can be used by the device of the invention to drive the light weight water turbines employed therein. It is also to be noted that should the oil spill occur near a shore, fire trucks could be used in such an emergency to supply the high pressure water and hoses to drive these water turbines.